Your home is your art space. And art is subjective, yet many homes tend to have the same motif. Where are the homes that follow their own charm and show off the resident’s artistic flare? I don’t know about you, but when I go into those homes, I really feel the warmth.
I can’t tell you how many times I talked to peers about decorating my home only for most of them to reply with, “that’s not trending though.” Who cares? Why does interior design have to be trendy for me to own it?
Look, I’ve had hand-me-down furniture and decorations for over a decade. For the first three to five years, I hated it. I felt cheap. I felt like a loser. I often thought, everyone I know has a brand-new couch set with a TV stand to match, that means they made it. Made it? I’m sorry, but I would love for us to redefine what “made it” means. There is nothing wrong with thrifting your home to a livable environment. In fact, I make more money now than back then and I still have all my hand-me-downs.
Second-Hand Home Décor is Still Chic
One day I decided to stop seeing my home as a place of lack and rather worked with the furniture and other decorations I had. I tried to find a common theme but eventually it came down to: eclectic.
Anything new I buy helps bring the hand-me-downs together, like my selection of curtain colors or area rugs.
My table set is inherited from my late great uncle. When he went into hospice at the age of 95, he had one wish and that was to see his 60-year old furniture in our homes. At the time we just moved into my house and did not have a table yet. My husband and I didn’t want his retro table set, but we honored his decision. We just told ourselves that when he passed, we’d place it in another room or donate it to someone in need.
Guess what? It’s our favorite piece of furniture! We fell in love with it, despite its mustard green velvety cushions. It’s something we wanted to show off. And we get lots of compliments on it. I love to tell people it was from my great uncle, who held on to it since the 60’s. It’s truly important to me and means so much. No new piece of aesthetically trendy table set was ever going to give me that cozy feeling. Now, every time I dine, I feel joy just because I know what I’m eating on.
The most ironic part of all is that recently we bought a new couch set – one that matches the vibe of this table- but when company comes over, they all stay at the kitchen table.
Your Home Should Be Filled with What Brings You Joy
You can still go for trendy items, that’s fine. I’m a sucker for the mid-century modern look. But, if anything in your home does not bring you joy, why do you have it? Donate anything like this. It could make someone else very happy. The idea is to make your home artsy, but in your own way, where every eclectic piece has value to you – it carries deep meaning and moves you when you see it, feel it, or sit on it.
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